THEIR WORDS Phase 2
PHASE 2 – John
Brought up a strict Catholic, John always wanted to get out and earn his own living. ‘I found I was very good at selling. That led to a hedonistic existence, and heavy drinking. Ten years as a Functioning drunk, later a chronic alcoholic on sick pay, gave me uncontrollable diabetes, with just drunks and addicts as my friends.’ Curiously, I still paid lip-service to God, reading Christian books – Paradise Lost, Pilgrim’s Progress.
I wanted contact with God, but while on the out, I couldn’t, as I kept on drinking. God had to put me in prison to break my addiction.’ John was, he believes, wrongly convicted for various crimes and sentenced to 5 years. ‘Within a few days on the hospital wing, the compulsion to drink had gone, I felt it lift.’ John worked hard as a Chapel orderly – ‘exposed to God 5 days a week. God meets you half-way but you have to co-operate. So I could move from a ‘C’ cat. prison to a ‘D’, I did lots of behavioural courses.
My next prison opened doors into telesales and charity work. Its Chaplain encouraged me to study Divinity and got my first year university funding.’ He pauses, then admits that alcoholics build up terrible resentments: ‘AA meetings helped me combat these – I’ve continued them outside.’ A Senior Probation Officer recommended John to Stepping Stones. ‘Your courses make it easier for me to learn to listen and deal with my intolerance.’ John enjoys the life of our house, and remains a prolific reader of Christian books. ‘Different church groups invite me out at week-ends, and with these and AA meetings, as well as my degree studies, I’m very busy!’